If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Which Sleeping Tablets? If I Must...

04-02-2013, 08:08 PM

Hi there, I have been long time reader of the forum, but this is my first post. I have been Primal for about 6 months now and I feel the healthiest I have in a very long time.

Anyway I've got the diet and exercise down, but my world was rocked a couple of weeks ago when my marriage disintegrated after finding out my wife had an affair. I'll spare you the details but I didn't eat or sleep for several days, very distraught. I've got most of my appetite back now, and am exercising again, but I am having trouble sleeping. Like, really bad. Like some nights I'll get ZERO hours sleep, or maybe 3-4 hours in a night, and so on.

Obviously the long term fix for this problem is counselling and letting the pain heal, but in the short term I'm concerned about the lack of sleep obviously. So I've got a couple of questions:

1) Do I just let my body handle it on it's own and not worry about it? That is, do I just forget about it, knowing that my body will eventually sleep when it's able to? If I'm tired, sleep, and if I'm not tired, then don't sleep?

2) Or, do I need to make my body sleep by taking sleeping tablets or something? And, if I do take tablets, what should I take? I do have a packet of pharmacy sleeping tablets (Restavit) and I've taken maybe half a dozen of those over the last few weeks, but obviously I don't want to stay on those, I'd rather something more natural and non-habit-forming

Try some Sleepytime tea (chamomile is relaxing, Valerian root is often also in these mixtures). I think it is ultimately best to address the emotional stress through counselling (ASAP if you are not already) because it's entirely possible you'll be dependent on some kind of sleep aid until it's adequately resolved (in your mind).

Comment

Sorry about your situation. I've been there. It's extremely damaging the mind and body and time may be the only thing that will help.

Melatonin could help with your sleep and it is a great antioxidant. Just start out with a low dose and adjust if needed. More is not always better when it comes to melatonin.
Valerian Root capsules are also a good choice. They would help your body to relax (face it - your tense whether you admit it or not) and that may help to let you sleep.

When I take these together, I swear I sleep like the dead. YMMV, due to your circumstances.

Best of luck.

Some people just need a sympathetic pat... On the head... With a hammer.

Comment

Sorry to hear about your difficult situation. I can understand why sleeping is difficult right now, and hopefully it will improve on it's own. In the meantime, what you could try:

1) some people find certain herbs, either in pill or tea form, to be helpful in falling asleep. Commonly used ones are valerian, skullcap, chamomile.
2) when I can't sleep, I often find that taking 50mg of diphenhydramine (2 tablets of benedryl or generic equivalent; Walgreen's has a generic with no added colors/dyes) to be very helpful.
3) listening to a meditation podcast on ear phones in bed. One that I really like that can be downloaded for free through iTunes is: The Meditation Podcast | Episode Six - Falling Asleep - Mar 07

If you do choose to do some type of sleep-aid pill, my suggestion is not to take it every night because the prescription stuff becomes habit-forming very quickly, and the over-the-counter stuff will just stop working. When I take benedryl, for example, I never take it more than 2 nights per week so that I don't develop a tolerance.

Comment

I've been having luck with Valerian Root. When my mind gets filled with nonsense while I try to sleep, I turn it off by saying my ABCs, silly, I know but it helps. I'm sure it would work with anything repetitious.

Comment

I can understand your situation, but sleeping pills are not the only choice to you. Once we start using of these pills, we will have addicted to these pills. So try to maintain good diet; make busy yourself with works. When we make tired our body, generally our mind needs some relaxation then you will get sleep. It is not easy to follow as I said but listen it is not impossible.
Good Luck.